Invading 'killer bees' may increase food supplies for native beesOctober 2nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - A long-term study of the Africanized bee invasion of Mexico's Yucatan shows that invading 'killer bees' may actually increase food resources for native bees. Aggressive African bees were accidentally released in Brazil in 1957.
How plants can rid themselves of pesticide residuesOctober 1st, 2009 WASHINGTON - In a new study, scientists in China have discovered that a natural plant hormone, applied to crops, can help plants eliminate residues of certain pesticides. The study, by scientist Jing Quan Yu and colleagues, noted that pesticides are essential for sustaining food production for the world's growing population.
Natural hormone helps plants get rid of pesticide residueSeptember 10th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Scientists have discovered a naturally occurring hormone that helps plants rid themselves of certain pesticide residues. Scientists in China are reporting the "intriguing" discovery that a natural plant hormone, applied to crops, can help plants eliminate residues of certain pesticides.
Natural plant hormone can help plants eliminate pesticide residuesSeptember 10th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Chinese researchers have discovered a natural plant hormone that can help plants eliminate residues of certain pesticides. Researchers have been seeking new ways of minimizing pesticide residues that remain in food crops after harvest - with little success.
Scientists predict effect of global warming on spring flowers by 2080September 10th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study by scientists has predicted the effect of global warming on spring flowers by the year 2080. Data, taken from records dating back to the late nineteenth century, has been used to demonstrate the impact of global warming and to predict the effect further warming will have on plant life by 2080.
Scientists discover key missing link in signaling pathway for plant steroid hormonesSeptember 9th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Researchers at the Carnegie Institution's Department of Plant Biology have discovered a key missing link in the so-called signaling pathway for plant steroid hormones. Many important signaling pathways are relays of molecules that start at the cell surface and cascade to the nucleus to regulate genes.
Flowering plants reinvented weediness by outcompeting ancient plantsSeptember 4th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new research has determined that flowering plants originated not as trees, but as relatively non-woody "pre-trees" that could outcompete ancient plants like conifers, thus reinventing the concept of weediness. Flowering plants widespread and are phenomenally successful, but how did they get to be so successful and where did they come from?
This question bothered Darwin and others, and a research paper published in the September issue of the Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society indicates that their ability to adapt anatomically may be the answer.
Scientists discover signaling pathway which ensures that plants remember to flowerAugust 21st, 2009 WASHINGTON - A team of scientists has discovered signaling pathway that ensures plants remember to flower, even without positive signals from the environment. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology in Germany found the solution to the mystery that why do some plants blossom even when days are short and gray.
Ferns climbed aboard trees to experience flowering of their own species diversityJuly 3rd, 2009 WASHINGTON - Scientists have constructed a new time-calibrated family tree for ferns, which has indicated that while modern tropical rain forests were becoming established, ferns climbed aboard, and experienced a flowering of their own species diversity. The family tree for ferns was created by Duke University researcher Eric Schuettpelz, along with associate professor Kathleen Pryer.
Plants saved planet Earth from freezing over during last ice ageJuly 2nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - In a new research, scientists have suggested that plants may have played a crucial role in putting a limit on the last ice age. When glaciers advanced over much of the Earth's surface during the last ice age, the planet did not freeze over entirely.
Ancient granaries preceded Agricultural RevolutionJune 23rd, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study has determined that it apparently took a long time to get the Agricultural Revolution off the ground, with discoveries at a Jordan site indicating that ancient granaries, more than 11,000 years old, preceded the advent of modern agriculture. Excavations at Dhra' near the Dead Sea in Jordan have uncovered remnants of four sophisticated granaries built between 11,300 and 11,175 years ago, about a millennium before domesticated plants were known to have been cultivated there.
Mystery behind how plants make eggs solvedJune 5th, 2009 WASHINGTON - In a landmark discovery, scientists at the University of California, Davis, have found that a hormone called auxin is responsible for egg production in plants. It is the first definitive study of a plant hormone acting as a morphogen-a substance that directs the pattern of development of cells based on its concentration.
Arctic mammals wintered in darkness 53 million years agoJune 2nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study has suggested that ancestors of tapirs and ancient cousins of rhinos living above the Arctic Circle 53 million years ago endured six months of darkness each year in a far milder climate than today that featured lush, swampy forests. According to University of Colorado (CU) Boulder Assistant Professor Jaelyn Eberle, the study shows several varieties of prehistoric mammals as heavy as 1,000 pounds each lived on what is today Ellesmere Island near Greenland on a summer diet of flowering plants, deciduous leaves and aquatic vegetation.
Islands important part of any global conservation strategyMay 12th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study has found that rare and unique ecological communities will be lost if oceanic islands aren't adequately considered in a global conservation plan. Although islands tend to harbor fewer species than continental lands of similar size, plants and animals found on islands often live only there, making protection of their isolated habitats our sole chance to preserve them.
Scientists identify compound that makes plants immune to diseasesApril 4th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and the University of Chicago have identified a novel compound that primes a plant's immune system, which may lead to the development of disease-resistant plants. The team, which includes Tim Tschaplinski of the Department of Energy's ORNL, has determined that azelaic acid has a role in priming the immunity response in Arabidopsis, a small flowering plant related to cabbage and mustard.
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